Protective coatings for metallic surfaces of articles and method of removal thereof



Aug. 13, 1957 D. N. vErrcH 2,802,595

` PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR METALLIC SURFACES OF ARTICLES AND METHOD OF REMOVAL THEREOF Filed June 16, 1954 ATTO RN EYS United States Patent VC) PROTECTIVE COATINGS FOR METALLIC SUR- FACES OF ARTICLES AND METHOD OF REEu MOVAL THEREOF Donald Newton Vetch, `Moseley, Birmingham, England, assignor to Hague & `McKenzie Limited, Birmingham, England, a British company y Application June 41t, 1954, serial No. 437,21s

Claims,priority,.application Great Britain `August 15,1953

s Claims.y rc1. zzo- 64) This invention relates to varticles of domestic hollow- Ware ,of `the kind havinga polished or other finished surface, for example, a platedimetallic surface.

The meaning of the expression domestic hollow-ware is, -of course, well known and the expression includes such articles .as asaucepans, stewpans, kettles, tableware, trays, `and similar `hollow-ware articles Afor use, for example, `in heating `and cooking operations `for containing liquids.

The .finished surface of `such hollow-ware articles, if exposed :after `manufacture before delivery to the customer, is liable during, Yfor example, transit Lor storage, to `sulfer marked deterioration arising from oxidation or other corrosion ofthe metallic surface from Athe surrounding atmosphere, while the surface is also :liable to collect dust or dirt and may further be :scratched ;or marked as a result of handling, while in stock or transit.

The `net result is that the original Lpolis'h or `otherfinish on the rsurface'provided bythe `manufacturer is likely to be impaired by :the time zthe'article ,reaches the customer and it may, in certain cases, be'necessary for the .stockist to return the ,articles to "the manufacturer for a repolishing or other 4refinishing operation.

With a view to minimising this deterioration :in the finished Asurface -of the article, ;it is `at present common practice to wrap fthe article in ordinary-.opaque wrapping paper, lbut this means that the article cannotbe displayed to View so that ythe `advertising value `of displaying the polished or other gnished surface of the article is lost.

It would be possible .tofavoid this diiculty by coating the surface of thearticle with a-permanently` adherent transparent lacquer or `varnish which would remain permanently'on the surface of the article lduring use, but such a method of surface protection is -quite inapplicable in practice to `domestic `hollow-ware articles, `with which the .present invention -is ressentiallyfconcerned, in `that the permanent presence of isuch varnish -.or ,lacquer :coating would be liable to leadfto .contamination of :the food stuffs within the article, when this was in use, and may further give rise to objectionable odours during the culinaryroperations.

Although the removal of such permanently adherent lacquers or varnishes by the use of solvents may be possible such .'aprocedure, `on the part of the customer, in most cases "the housewife, would tbe extremely .inconvenient and @there .would .be 4no .guarantee `that the coating was removed entirely. `..1"urthermore,ifithe coating were removed by the -use dof abrasives, damage to the `surface ofl thearticle -by Ascratching would almost inevitably t occur.

The present invention Ihas for lone of its objects the provision .of an .article of hollow-ware provided with an improved coating 'and withremova'l means which .will enable `the coating to be` easily and vcompletely Iremovedby the customer whereby the disadvantages o'f the t. whole of the foregoing existing or suggested methods of protection are avoided. 1

ice

2` According to the present invention, I provide a body having a polished or `other finished metallic surface provided with a removable protective skin of flexible material impervious to the `surrounding atmosphere and extending continuously over said surface `so as to protect the same yfrom dirt, abrasion or atmospheric corrosion, said skin engaging closely with said nished surface, an opening `in said skin, a flexible closure member covering said opening, said-closure member being impervious to the surrounding atmosphere and being 4in sealing engagement with `the outer surface of the skin around said opening so as to seal :the same from `the surrounding atmosphere, `said closure member being provided with a gripping part adapted, when grasped and pulled, to uncover the opening and permit of ingress of air to the underside of the skin, thereby enabling the same readily to be stripped off said body surface.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective View of a saucepan complete with coating and with removal tabs, Figure 2 is a detail section along line 2-2 of Figure l, Figure 3 is a detail showing the first stage in the production of a `removal tab in accordance with Figure l and Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but `showing the identification band `in position.

In the form of my invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein it is shown as applied to a saucepan 10, the coating 11 is applied to the whole `of the inside and outside face of the Wall of the saucepan, to the `top and bottom faces of the base of the saucepan and to the top edge of the wall of the saucepan. lt is, ofcourse, not `necessary to apply the coatingyto the handle 12 or the handlemounting 1-3 of the saucepan for, i-n'the case of the handle, this is frequently `made of `a dull plastics material and, the `mounting is provided with a dull finish. The coating is applied by a cold dipping process, `the finished Varticle being dipped in a solution of lacquer which is capable of very rapid `drying to form a close fitting thin skin. One lacquer which has been found to give a satisfactory coating is that placed on the market by Decker Brothers under their reference C. Z. `812 and `a suitable thinner for bringing `this laquer `into a suitable condition for the dip having regard to 'the thin skin required is that supplied by Docket Brothers :under `their reference B. F. 1959.

t Such a Acoating has tensile and flexible characteristics which are such that it is capable of being peeled oif the surface which is to be protected in a more or less continuous operation and in the form of elongated strips or sheets as opposed to being removable. only in a large number of separate ilakes or similar pieces of very small size. If the coating were only removable in the Vform of flakes or a large number Vof similar small pieces the removal operation would be so protracted as to render the coating quite inapplicable `to domestic hollow-ware with which lthe present invention is essentially concerned.

The `coating is transparent so that the 'finished surface of lthe hollow-ware article is readily visible and can be displayed bythe stockist to the customer, and, as a result, the articles possesses the same advertising or eye appeal as if it were unprovided entirely with such coating. For this reasonthe coating 4is preferably colourless, although it may, if desired, be tinted and it `may further be coloured locally for `identification or advertising purposes.

A protective coating as described above adheres closely to the surface of the :article to the exclusion, or virtual exclusion, `of air between the coating and the article surface. ,Such coating is, further, impervious and, as a result, when an attempt is initially made to remove the coating this has, in fact, to .be pulled away `from .the article surface against the full pressure, or lsubstantially the full pressure, of the surrounding atmosphere so that Y there is quite a substantial resistance to initial removal of the coating. In order, therefore, to enable ready removal to be effected, removal means as described below are provided.

` The removal means comprises a tab-like portion 14 Which is integral with an anchor or closure portion 15, which anchor or closure portion 15 is secured to the outer surface of the coating around a small opening 16 which has been formed in the coating. The removal tab 14 land the anchor portion 15 are formed of a material which has a thickness substantially greater than that of the coating 11 and may, for example, be formed of a cellulose film tape.

This anchor portion 15 is secured to the exterior of the coating A11 at all sides of the opening 16 therein so that it can pull the adjacent part of the coating away from the finished surface of the article when a pull is applied to the tab portion 14. When the tab portion 14 is pulled the opening is uncovered after which, on further pulling of the tab 14, the coating is peeled away from the nished surface asV will be permitted due to the uncovering and unsealing of the opening 16.

The opening 16 is preferably formed during the application of the coating to the body surface and this may y be done as shown in Figure 3 by covering the body surface locally with a small piece of removable material 17, which may, for example, comprise a small piece of cellulose film tape or a small piece of linen tape. of material 17 is secured to the body surface prior to the dipping operation, this piece of material 17 being removed after the dipping operation so as to leave the opening 16 in the otherwise continuous and air impervious coating 11. This opening 16 is then covered by the anchor portion 15 of the removal means as described above.

Alternatively, and as shown in Figure 4, the tab 14 of the removal means may not be provided so that the removal means is constituted solely by an anchor portion which is secured round its whole periphery to the outer surface of the coating. With such an arrangement the anchor portion 15 is itself secured to a separate gripping member which may conveniently constitute a breakable paper or other band 18, which is adapted, when broken and pulled in either direction, to apply pressure to this closure member 15 and to pull it -away from the coating 11 so as to permit of the opening 16 being uncovered and the coating being removed. Where'a band 18 is provided this may be coloured or provided with other identification matter as will presently be described.

Instead of forming the opening 16 in the manner above described this opening may be formed after the application of the coating'to the body surface by piercing the coating locally with a suitable tool. This tool may conveniently be in the form of an embossing or impressing tool which may serve to emboss or impress a Trade Mark or other marking or representation on or in the surface of the body of the article, and, at the position where the coating is so pierced, it would then be coveredby a closure member as described above.

As previously described, the band 18 may be used as an identification member, the band being, for example, differently marked, differently coloured or differently shaped in accordance with the particular use with which the article is intended. For example, where the article is intended to be used with an electric hot-plate it will be provided with a relatively thick base and the Vband 18 would differ in some manner from the band which would be used where the article was intended for use with a gaseous fuel combustion stove where the article would be provided with a base of different form.

As seen from Figure l, the removal means which is attached to the coating on the inside surface of the article is so disposed that the pull exerted on the removal means will be in a direction Vtending to rupture the Vcoating downwardly and across the base. This arrangement is, `of

This piece Vcourse,preferable as it would otherwisebe difcult 'to get at the coating which extends across the top surface of the base of the article. Y

Although the removal means has been described with reference to strips of material such as cellulose iilm tape or similar material, the removal means might constitute a metal strip or a strip of any other suitable materialvwhiclrj would be bonded in some suitable manner to the coating.

The invention is especially applicable to domestic articles of hollow ware which are formed of aluminium or of an aluminium alloy, although it should be under-V stood that the invention is applicabley to all domestic hollow-ware articles having a polished or other finish, for example, a plated. metallic surface.l v

What I claim then is: l

1. An article ofV domestic hollow-ware having a polished metallic surface, a removable protective skin of flexible material on vsaid surface, said skin being impervious and extending continuously over and in close engagement with said polished surface, said skin having an open-- ing therein, a eXible closure member covering said opening, said closure member being impervious and being in sealing engagement with the outer surface of the skin around said opening, said closure member having secured thereto an identification band, said band extending round the periphery of the article and serving both as an identification band and as a removal tab for removing said skin.

2. An article of domestic hollow-ware having a polished metallic surface, a removable protective skin of flexible material on said surface, said skin being impervious and extending continuously over and n close engagement with said polished surface, said skin having an opening therein on the outside of the article, said skin having a further opening therein on the inside of said article, a flexible closure member covering said opening on the outside of said article, said closure member being impervious and being in sealing engagement with the outer surface of the skin around said opening, an identiiication band associated with said closure member, said band extending roundrthe periphery of the article and serving both to identify the article and as a removal means for the skin on the outside of said article, a further ilexible closure member covering said opening on the inside of said article, said further closure member being impervious and being in sealing engagement with the outer surface of the skin around said opening, saidfurther closure member being provided with a gripping part whereby the skin on the inside of said article may be removed.

3; A method of forming a protective skin on Yan article of domestic hollow-ware having a polished metallic surface which comprises dipping the article in a suitable liquid to form a protective coating thereover, piercing said coating locally to form an opening therein, and covering said opening with a exible closure member which is' adapted to seal the opening and to'serve as a removal tab for the removalof said skin from said article.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Transparent coating, Products Finishing, September 1942.V

ProtektoL 1943, Bulletin New YQrk: N* Y' of Ault and Wiborg Corp., 

1. AN ARTICLE OF DOMESTIC HOLLOW- WARE HAVING A POLISHED METALLIC SURFACED, A REMOVABLE PROTECTIVE SKIN OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL ON SAID SURFACE, AND SKIN BEING IMPERVIOUS AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY OVER AND IN CLOSE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID POLISHED SURFACE, SAID SKIN HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN, A FLEXIBLE CLOSURE MEMBER COVERING SAID OPENING, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BEING IMPERVIOUS AND BEING IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SKIN AROUND SAID OPENING, SAID CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING SECURED THERETO AN IDENTIFICATION BAND, SAID BAND EXTENDING ROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE ARTICLE AND SERVING BOTH AS AN IDENTIFICATION BAND AND AS A REMOVAL TAB FOR REMOVING SAID SKIN. 